CAMP FLAT

Rich gold deposits were discovered in the Buckland Valley in North-East Victoria in 1853, and the subsequent rush drew some 6,000 miners to the field, almost depopulating the Beechworth field, and attracting diggers from all over the colony. In the crowded, narrow valley, unsanitary conditions led to an outbreak of ‘Colonial Fever’ or typhoid on the diggings in the summer of 1854, and the death toll of up to 1,000 or more led to the Buckland being referred to as “The Valley of the Shadow of Death”. With large numbers of fresh burials, one visitor described the scene as like a river winding through a churchyard. The diggings were almost completely abandoned, until conditions improved. In the mid-1850s, large numbers of Chinese diggers began arriving on the field, and by early 1857 they outnumbered the Europeans by four or five to one. Great resentment was felt by sections of the European population, and after a few minor skirmishes, the valley erupted into violence on the 4th of July, 1857, in an event known as the Buckland Riots. A Chinese population of 2000 to 2500 were driven from the valley. Many were severely beaten, their huts and tents looted and burnt, and their claims jumped. Three Chinese died in the aftermath of the riots, but many more were said to have been killed, and their bodies hidden of before the police detachment arrived from Beechworth. After order was restored, the Chinese miners began trickling back to the field, and were eventually present in greater numbers than before the riots. 

Gold was won over long distances along the main river and its tributaries of the river and a number of busy townships formed along the Buckland. Alluvial mining was influenced by the early introduction of Californian ground sluicing methods, and hydraulic sluicing began in about 1858. Alluvial mining received a boost in the late 1800s with the introduction of large-scale hydraulic sluicing using jet elevators, and again with giant bucket dredges in the very early 1900s. 

The surviving township remains and gold mining at Camp Flat provides evidence of an early remote mountain diggings residential, commercial and government administration centre. It was an important place of the outbreak of typhoid in in the summer of 1853-54 and during the anti-Chinese riot of 1857. 

The site of Camp Flat is a tangible link to an early goldfield digging gold rush center. The history of the subsequent township demonstrates the physical and social requirements and needs of goldfields a population through the range of stores, services, business. It also highlights the spiritual and tragic stories of the harshness and isolated nature of a remote mountain goldfield. 

The government administrative precinct of police barracks, stables, lock up, Court House and Mining Warden’s Office, demonstrate the challenges of an early Victorian government outpost of a vastly diverse and transient mining population in endeavouring to establish and administer law and authority. 

The outlying mining features and history also demonstrates the different stages of alluvial gold mining within the Buckland Valley, and the accompanying habitation sites close to these alluvial claims. 

Camp Flat goldfield landscape is of historical, social and archaeological significance to the State of Victoria. 

Criterion C – Potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Victoria’s regional cultural history. 

Criterion D – Importance in demonstrating the principle characteristics of a class of cultural places or objects. 

Criterion G - The importance of the place or object in demonstrating social or cultural associations. 

Camp Flat goldfields landscape is historically and socially significant to the State of Victoria. It is a key area in the history of mining in the Buckland Valley providing evidence of the rapid growth and decline of a remote mountain goldfield and government administration outpost. It’s broad ranging significance covers many facets of remote goldfields life; from social, economic, community, commercial government administration and the many aspects of early alluvial and quartz reef mining. 

Some of the features and archaeology of the former township have had significant disturbance, whilst other areas of archaeological features are preserved by a thick cover of regenerating riparian forest, and blackberries. This vegetation, within State Forest protects and preserves not only the alluvial mining landscape and associated technologies, but also the archaeological sites associated with habitation, human stories, tragedies and the severe racial conflict on the Victorian goldfields. 

Regional Significance (Heritage Inventory), Strong potential for State significance (VHR): 

The Camp Flat township site and mining landscape contains evidence of the timeline of the growth and decline of an early, remote and mountainous goldfields diggings population, closely administered by the early Victorian government outpost. 

Historical Significance – High: the site is of important historical significance in demonstrating the growth and decline of a remote mountain goldfield population and challenges by the government to administer a transient and diverse goldfield population. The site is also significant for its association with the outbreak of typhoid and/colonial fever in the summers of 1853-54 when the location was referred to ‘the Valley in the Shadow of Death’. The site is also significant for the association of the government camp at the time of the anti-Chinese riot of 1857. 

Technological Significance – Medium: the locality contains a range of early intact alluvial ground and bank sluicing sites and associated features of cobble heaps, sluice banks, water races, tail head and tail races. These features provide good examples of this form of mining as well as the destructive nature of mining. 

Archaeological Potential/Significance- Medium to High: Areas of the Camp still retain high archaeological values. The tailing over the on the north side of the river have good potential to reveal aspects of the early commercial centre of the settlement. Good archaeological potential also exists within the broad area of shallow bank and ground sluicing areas to reveal early habitation and refuse/tips sites, including; 

• Personal items 

• Tools or objects relating to outlying places of and types of work 

• Daily domestic items, food storage vessels, diet, table and cooking ware items, etc. 

Interpretation/Presentation Values – High: The site is currently a relatively high use visitation area associated with the camping and day visitor areas. This provides easily accessible opportunities for interpretation of the many aspects of the early Buckland goldfield.